Polish Humanitarian Organisation is a non-governmental,
free of discrimination and equal chance organisation established on December
12, 1992 in Poland.
As a humanitarian organisation, PHO
acts internationally and within the country to provide assistance to people
affected by cataclysms and extraordinary situations to reduce poverty and
vulnerability. PHO realises its missions by helping vulnerable communities
in crises to regain responsibility for their own future and become self-reliant.
PHO shapes humanitarian attitudes among the communities and creates modern culture of assistance combining effectiveness with the respect for human dignity and culture.
Our Mission is to create the world - a better place through alleviation of human suffering and promotion of humanitarian values.
Since February 2000 PHO Permanent Mission has been operating in Chechnya and Ingushetia, with the head office in Nazran, Ingushetia.
The main aim of the mission is to help residents of Grozny - victims of armed conflict in Chechnya.
GENERAL SITUATION:
First part of January was very quiet. Several holidays at the end of 2002 and at the beginning of 2003 caused that most the humanitarian community left for leaves. State administration closed down on 31st of December and started to work only on 6th of January.
January 9, abducted on July 23, 2002 Nina Davydovitch, the Head of the Russian NGO Druzhba was released.
Dutch citizen Arjan Erkel heading the Swiss branch of the Medecins sans Frontiers, abducted in Dagestan on August 12, 2002 remains incommunicado.
The second half of January in humanitarian community in Northern Caucasus was marked by meetings about the current and future perspective of Temporary Accommodation Centres (TAC) in Chechnya. The situation of IDPs in Ingushetia and pressure form Ingush authorities to solve the problem of IDPs in their republic became tense. Chechen authorities and federal migration service are insisting on IDPs come back to homeland. Humanitarian organisations asses life condition and security situation in Chechnya as critical. Nevertheless, eight (ninth address does not exists in Grozny) new TACs are being constructed in Grozny. The water and sanitation situation in all TACs in Chechnya is alarming. Therefore, all humanitarian organisations providing support to citizens of Grozny in Water and Sanitation sector gathered to discuss possibilities of assistance to people accommodated in TACs. Their strong wish is to get local authorities involved. The situation is complicated. The IDPs in TACs don't receive regular aid from local administration and IDPs that are not accommodated in TACs do not receive such assistance at all.
Chechen authorities set the date for Constitutional Referendum for 23 March 2003.
Ingush authorities are demanding more and more permissions and other documents from humanitarian organisations based in that republic. Newly created procedures and bureaucracy complicate the overall situation of humanitarian organisations and cause delays in the registration and visa procedure for foreigners.
SECURITY:
January is the next month in a row in which the general situation in Chechnya and Ingushetia deteriorated. In Chechnya situation seems to be the worst at the moment since last months. Apart from shootings, abductions, explosions, the criminal activities are getting more and more common. Masked people in military uniforms, in the daylight are stealing cars in the city of Grozny. Treated with the machine guns, drivers give away all car documents.
Similar, but not such bad situation is in Ingushetia. An organized crime group abducted the colonel of Ministry of Interior (MoI). After the investigation and rapid reaction of law enforcement structures he was released and transported to hospital in a very poor condition.
PARTNERSHIP
On January 16, WHO and PHO signed an agreement on constructing five new medical waste incinerators in hospitals of Grozny.
In February, according to UNICEF information, PHO will receive 27 water bladders for the Water Programme in Grozny.
Water programme in Grozny:
PHO has finished its annual Water and Sanitation monitoring in Grozny.
The main goal of the monitoring was to compare improvements of water and sanitation situation in Grozny with last year's situation. We have monitored 200 locations, among them those where PHO water is distributed as well as those where there is no PHO water. Simultaneously we have checked sanitation facilities in the city.
Monitors were selected among the poorest people living in TACs. They have been trained and instructed how to do the job. After the work they have received recommendations that may help them in job searching.
In January we have installed, relocated or changed following bladders:
- 10m=B3 water bladder at Krasnoflodskaya Str. was replaced by 5m=B3 water baldder
- 10m=B3 water bladder (from Krasnoflodskaya Str.) have been put at 68 Erohova Str =B7 new 5m=B3 water bladder at Rassvietaya Str.
In January we distributed in 152 Water Distribution Points with total capacity of 816,30 m=B3 over 8459.1 m=B3 of free of charge, potable water (338.36 m=B3 daily).
Sanitation Program in Grozny
1. Garbage removal
PHO is disposing garbage from 101 garbage containers (1m=B3 each) dislocated in 30 places in Grozny with focus on medical sector (23 addresses). Most of the containers are being emptied on a twice-a-week basis. After being collected -- garbage is disposed at a communal dump in the Andrieyevska Dolina district (southern-west part of Grozny).
The hospitals are also being supplied with garbage cans, garbage bags, brooms and buckets as well as the basic cleaners. Total garbage removal in January was 814 cubic meters, 32.56 m=B3 daily.
2. Sewage removal
The sewage truck has been operating since the beginning of April both in public and private sector. Since October it additionally started emptying the PHO-built latrines. Total sewage removal in January was 264.9 cubic meters, 10.60 m=B3 daily.
In January PHO started to remove garbage from two, new locations: School nr.34 (oktyabrsky district) and Boarding school for deaf children, 33, Nevskovo Str. (oktyabrsky district).
3. Medical waste incinerators
The assement of places for next five incinerators and the initial planning works have been started in Grozny.
The Sanitation Program is financed by UNICEF, ECHO and WHO (new incinerators) and supported by UNHCR (garbage truck).